Foldable electric bed

ABSTRACT

A foldable electric bed includes a first unit having a first fixation frame, a first moveable frame pivotally connected with the first fixation frame, and a first actuator, a second unit having a second fixation frame, a second moveable frame pivotally connected with the second fixation frame, and a second actuator, and a hinge. Top surfaces of the first and second units are located on an imaginary plane in a coplanar manner. The hinge has first and second connecting portions, which are respectively disposed to the first and second units and rotatable about a central axis that is located above the imaginary plane, such that the top surfaces of the first and second units are adjacently attached with each other when the electric bed is folded. The folded electric bed has a reduced volume, facilitating transportation and storage thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an electric bed and more particularly, to a foldable electric bed.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional electric bed is generally composed of fixation frames, moveable frames and a mattress, which can lift the back and legs of a user, or lift the user's body up and down. Conventionally, electric beds were mostly used by hospitals or people with handicapped mobility. With the pursuit of a more comfortable life, electric beds are now extensively used by general consumers. However, conventional electric beds have considerable volume and weight, resulting in inconvenience in transportation and storage thereof. Further, many consumers may not buy electric beds because there are traditional beds in home, which results in a decline in sales of electric beds. To facilitate storage and transportation, there are demountable electric beds commercially available on the market. However, the process of dismantling is quite labor-consuming. Moreover, the commercially available electric beds can only be used alone, and cannot be used with traditional bed, so that the sales amount of the electric beds cannot be improved. Therefore, a goal of manufacturers and practitioners in this industry field is to design an electric bed, which has a reduced volume to facilitate transportation and storage and allows users to freely use the electric bed alone or with a traditional bed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a foldable electric bed, which has a light structure, and a reduced volume when the electric bed is folded so as to facilitate transportation and storage thereof. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable electric bed, which can be used alone or with a traditional bed.

To attain the above objectives, the present invention provides a foldable electric bed comprising first and second units and a hinge. The first unit includes a first fixation frame, a first moveable frame pivotally connected with the first fixation frame, and a first actuator having two ends pivotally connected with the first fixation and moveable frames, respectively. The second unit includes a second fixation frame, a second moveable frame pivotally connected with the second fixation frame, and a second actuator having two ends pivotally connected with the second fixation and moveable frames, respectively. The first and second units are arranged in a way that a top surface of the first unit and a top surface of the second unit are located on an imaginary plane in a coplanar manner. The hinge has a first connecting portion disposed to the first fixation frame, and a second connecting portion disposed to the second fixation frame. The first and second connecting portions are rotatable about a central axis that is located above the imaginary plane, such that the top surface of the first unit is adjacently attached with the top surface of the second unit when the foldable electric bed is folded. As such, the folded electric bed has a reduced volume, thereby facilitating transportation and storage thereof, and the electric bed can be used alone or with a traditional bed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foldable electric bed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a lateral side view the foldable electric bed of the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the foldable electric bed of the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the foldable electric bed of the embodiment of the present invention, showing a first moveable frame and a second moveable frame are in inclined positions; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic lateral side view, showing that the foldable electric bed of the embodiment of the present invention is folded.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The structure and technical features of the present invention will be detailedly described hereunder by an embodiment and accompany drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1-2, a foldable electric bed 1 provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is composed of a first unit 10, a second unit 20, two hinges 30, two first legs 42, two middle legs 44, two second legs 46, and a positioning member 50. The foldable electric bed 1 is adapted to support a mattress (not shown) thereon.

The first unit 10 includes a first fixation frame 11, a first moveable frame 12 having a rear end, i.e. the end close to the left side of FIG. 1, pivotally connected with the first fixation frame 11, a first actuator 14 having two ends pivotally connected with the first fixation frame 11 and the first moveable frame 12 respectively, a top surface S1, and a bottom surface S3. The first moveable frame 12 is drivenable by the first actuator 14 to reciprocatingly swing relative to the first fixation frame 11 between a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 1 and an inclined position as shown in FIG. 4. The first actuator 14 is composed of a first cylinder body 15 and a first slidable rod 16 that can outwardly protrude from and inwardly retract into the first cylinder body 15. The first cylinder body 15 has a front end pivotally connected with the first moveable frame 12, and the first slidable rod 16 has a rear end pivotally connected with the first fixation frame 11. When the first slidable rod 16 outwardly extends from the first cylinder body 15 to increase the total length of the first actuator 14, the first moveable frame 12 upwardly swings relative to the first fixation frame 11. On the contrary, when the first slidable rod 16 inwardly retracts into the first cylinder body 15 to decrease the total length of the first actuator 14, the first moveable frame 12 downwardly swings relative to the first fixation frame 11. The first fixation frame 11 further includes two first threaded holes 17 provided at two lateral sides of the front portion, i.e. the portion close to the right side of FIG. 3, of the fixation frame 11, and two middle threaded holes 19 provided at two lateral sides of a rear portion, i.e. the portion close to the left side of FIG. 3, of the first fixation frame 11. The two first legs 42 are screwingly and respectively threaded into the two first threaded holes 17, and the two middle legs 44 are screwingly and respectively threaded into the two middle threaded holes 19. In this embodiment, the first moveable frame 12 corresponds in location to a user's back when the user lies on the electric bed 1.

The second unit 20 includes a second fixation frame 21, a second moveable frame 22 having a front end, i.e. the end close to the right side of FIG. 1, pivotally connected with the second fixation frame 21, a second actuator 24 having two ends pivotally connected with the second fixation frame 21 and the second moveable frame 22 respectively, two links 28, a top surface S2, and a bottom surface S4. The second moveable frame 22 is drivenable by the second actuator 24 to reciprocatingly swing relative to the second fixation frame 21 between a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 1 and an inclined position as shown in FIG. 4. The second moveable frame 22 is composed of a front frame 23 and a rear frame 27. The front frame 23 has a front end pivotally connected with the second fixation frame 21, and a rear end pivotally connected with a front end of the rear frame 27. The second actuator 24 has a structure same as that of the first actuator 14. The second actuator 24 is composed of a second cylinder body 25 and a second slidable rod 26. The second cylinder body 25 has a front end pivotally connected with the front frame 23 of the second moveable frame 22, and the second slidable rod 26 has a rear end pivotally connected with the second fixation frame 21. The two links 28 each have two ends pivotally connected with the second fixation frame 21 and the rear frame 27. As such, when the second actuator 24 drives the front frame 23 to upwardly swing relative to second fixation frame 21 to lift up the rear frame 27, the two links 28 will upwardly swing to lift up the rear end of the rear frame 27. The second fixation frame 21 further includes two second threaded holes 29 provided at two lateral sides of a rear portion, i.e. the portion close to the left side of FIG. 2, of the second fixation frame 21. The two second legs 46 are screwingly and respectively threaded into the two second threaded holes 29. In this embodiment, the front frame 23 corresponds in location to a user's thighs and the rear frame 27 corresponds in location to the user's lower legs when the user lies on the electric bed 1.

When the foldable electric bed 1 fully extends, the first and second units 10 and 20 are configured in a way that the top surface S1 of the first unit 10 and the top surface S2 of the second unit 20 are located on an imaginary plane in a coplanar manner, and the bottom surface S3 of the first unit 10 and the bottom surface S4 of the second unit 20 are located on another imaginary plane in a coplanar manner.

It is to be mentioned that the two pivotal positions of the first actuator 14 are arranged having a height difference and the two pivotal positions of the second actuator 24 are also arranged having a height difference, such that the first and second actuators 14 and 24 can generate sufficient torques to drive the first and second movable frames 12 and 22 to swing. Further, it can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 4 that the first and second actuators 14 and 24 do not protrude over the top surfaces S1 and S2 and the bottom surfaces S3 and S4 when the first and second moveable frames 12 and 22 stay at the horizontal positions or at the inclined positions.

Referring to FIG. 3, each hinge 30 has a first connecting portion 32 disposed to the rear portion of the first fixation frame 11, and a second connecting portion 34 disposed to the front portion of the second fixation frame 21. The first and second connecting portions 32 and 34 are rotatable about a central axis 35 that is located above the imaginary plane. In this embodiment, the hinge 30 further includes a pivot shaft 36 extending along the central axis 35 and disposed between the first and second connecting portions 32 and 34. In this embodiment, the electric bed 1 comprises two hinges 30. In other embodiment, one or more hinges 30 may be used and the structure of the hinge 30 may be modified. For example, the pivot shaft 36 may be omitted.

The legs 42, 44 and 46 have a same structure. Each first leg 42 has an upwardly extending threaded portion 43 adapted to be screwingly threaded into the first threaded hole 17 of the first fixation frame 11, each middle leg 44 has an upwardly extending threaded portion 45 adapted to be screwingly threaded into the middle traded hole 19 of the first fixation frame 11, and each second leg 46 has an upwardly extending threaded portion 47 adapted to be screwingly threaded into the second threaded hole 29 of the second fixation frame 21. After the legs 42, 44, 46 are mounted to the first and second fixation frames 11 and 21, each of the two middle legs 44 is located between one of the two first legs 42 and one of the two second legs 46. Each middle leg 44 has an abutment portion 48 abutted against the bottom surface S4 of the second unit 20. In other embodiment, the legs and the fixation frames may be connected by latch engagement, insertion connection, pivotal connection, or the like.

The positioning member 50 is detachably mounted to the rear portion of the rear frame 27 for holding the mattress in position. In other embodiment, one or more positioning members 50 may be provided, or the positioning member 50 may be omitted.

To store the electric bed 1, the first and second moveable frames 12 and 22 of the first and second units 10 and 20 are set to the horizontal positions, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and then the user can dismantle the positioning member 50, the first, middle and second legs 42, 44 and 46 from the first and second units 10 and 20. Thereafter, the electric bed 1 is upwardly folded about the central axis 35, as shown in FIG. 5, to enable that the top surface S1 of the first unit 10 is adjacently attached with the top surface S2 of the second unit 20, and then the positioning member 50 and the legs 42, 44 and 46 can be placed into spaces inside the first and second units 10 and 20. As a result, the folded electric bed 1 has a reduced volume with a flat profile, thereby facilitating package, transportation and storage thereof.

In another aspect, when the foldable electric bed 1 is extended and a mattress is placed on the electric bed 1, the first legs 42, the middle legs 44 and the second legs 46 can evenly share the weights of the mattress and the user, and in particular the middle legs 44 can bear the both weights of the first and second units 10 and 20, such that the electric bed 1 can be stably used by the user alone. To cooperate with a traditional bed, the legs 42, 44 and 46 can be dismantled from the electric bed 1 in advance, and then the electric bed 1 can be directly placed on the traditional bed. Because the bottom surfaces S3 and S4 of the first and second units 10 and 20 are located on a same plane in a coplanar manner without any protrusions protruding over the plane, the electric bed 1 can be stably placed on the traditional bed or other plane. On the other hand, though the hinges 30 protrude over the top surfaces S1 and S2 of the first and second units 10 and 20, the hinges 30 will not cause any discomfort to the user because the hinges 30 are covered by soft mattress. Further, the electric bed 1 has a thickness of about 10 cm only; therefore, even if the electric bed 1 is placed on a traditional bed, the overall height of the combination of the electric bed 1 and the mattress will not exceed a general height of common use. In other words, the electric bed 1 can not only be folded to reduce its volume and also so be used alone or with a traditional bed, improving the disadvantages of prior arts and achieving the objectives of the present invention.

Based on the technical features of the present invention, various modifications to the structure of the electric bed 1 may be made. For example, the first legs 42, the middle legs 44 and the second legs 46 may be omitted, the positions of the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 may be interchanged, and the middle legs 44 may be disposed to the second fixation frame 21 and each have an abutment portion 48 abutted against the bottom surface S3 of the first unit 10. Further, the top surfaces S1 and S2 of the first and second units 10 and 20 may be provided with a mesh cloth, which can not only share the weights of the mattress and the user and but increase friction between the foldable electric bed 1 and the mattress so as to avoid slip of the mattress.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A foldable electric bed, comprising: a first unit including a first fixation frame, a first moveable frame pivotally connected with the first fixation frame, and a first actuator having two ends pivotally connected with the first fixation and moveable frames, respectively; a second unit including a second fixation frame, a second moveable frame pivotally connected with the second fixation frame, and a second actuator having two ends pivotally connected with the second fixation and moveable frames, respectively; the first and second units being arranged in a way that a top surface of the first unit and a top surface of the second unit are located on an imaginary plane in a coplanar manner; and a hinge having a first connecting portion disposed to the first fixation frame, and a second connecting portion disposed to the second fixation frame; the first and second connecting portions being rotatable about a central axis that is located above the imaginary plane, such that the top surface of the first unit is adjacently attached with the top surface of the second unit when the foldable electric bed is folded.
 2. The foldable electric bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinge further comprises a pivot shaft extending along the central axis and disposed between the first and second connecting portions.
 3. The foldable electric bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first moveable frame is drivenable by the first actuator to reciprocatingly swing relative to the first fixation frame between a horizontal position and an inclined position.
 4. The foldable electric bed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second moveable frame is drivenable by the second actuator to reciprocatingly swing relative to the second fixation frame between a horizontal position and an inclined position.
 5. The foldable electric bed as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two first legs disposed to the first fixation frame, two second legs disposed to the second fixation frame, and two middle legs disposed to the first fixation frame in a way that each of the two middle legs is located between one of the two first legs and one of the two second legs; wherein each of the two middle legs has an abutment portion abutted against a bottom surface of the second fixation frame.
 6. The foldable electric bed as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the two first legs comprises an upwardly extending threaded portion screwingly threaded into the first fixation frame, each of the two middle legs comprises an upwardly extending threaded portion screwingly threaded into the first fixation frame, and each of the two second legs comprises an upwardly extending threaded portion screwingly threaded into the second fixation frame.
 7. The foldable electric bed as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two first legs disposed to the first fixation frame, two second legs disposed to the second fixation frame, and two middle legs disposed to the second fixation frame in a way that each of the two middle legs is located between one of the two first legs and one of the two second legs; wherein each of the two middle legs has an abutment portion abutted against a bottom surface of the first fixation frame.
 8. The foldable electric bed as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the two first legs comprises an upwardly extending threaded portion screwingly threaded into the first fixation frame, each of the two middle legs comprises an upwardly extending threaded portion screwingly threaded into the second fixation frame, and each of the two second legs comprises an upwardly extending threaded portion screwingly threaded into the second fixation frame. 